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Abortion


            One of the most debated and controversial issues in our society today is the moral and legal status of the human fetus and the corresponding question of the permissibility of abortion. An abortion is the termination of a pregnancy before a fetus is viable. Before viability the fetus is not considered to have the moral sense that a person has and does not entail the necessary elements of "personhood". The only reason for an abortion after this time would be to protect the life of the mother. The rights of a mother supersede the rights of the fetus and the government should not have the ability to control the mother's decision.
             Logically, the abortion debate begins with the moral status of the fetus. Scientific studies tell us that it is a fact of nature that human life begins at conception. Upon fertilization a one celled life form is made that contains twenty-three chromosomes from each parent. These chromosomes contain the genetic code for every detail of individual human development. At this time the fertilized egg will begin to mature and grow. Whether this egg or embryo has the same rights that a full grown human has is the main question. Until the fetus is considered viable it has no rights at all as a human. The fetus might develop and start to resemble the body shape of a human, but that does not give it rights. There are two main characteristics that generally define what a human is. Warren states in her essay that humans have both a genetic and moral sense. The developing fetus inside the mother has the genetic sense since it is carrying all the characteristics that make up a human being. Although belonging to this biological species is not significant just by its self. The fetus must also have a moral sense which every mature human being has. Noonan makes a distinction in social visibility where the fetus is not "socially perceived as human" since it is not able to communicate with others.


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